Mike Nadel: Fans care about Urlacher's health, not his quotes

Monday

That Brian Urlacher has all but stopped talking to the Chicago media is a big deal -- to the Chicago media. I doubt the public cares.

That Brian Urlacher has all but stopped talking to the Chicago media is a big deal -- to the Chicago media. I doubt the public cares.

It's not as if the Bears middle linebacker ever had anything to say even when he spoke in sorta-full sentences instead of the one-word grunts he has resorted to lately. Still, many of my colleagues have ripped Urlacher for being uncooperative, petulant or childish.

My cohorts claim it's Urlacher's duty to speak to the media because he is the "face of the team" and we are the "eyes and ears of the fans." So by avoiding us or treating us with disdain, Urlacher is disrespecting the fans who pay his salary.

More likely, most fans don't care whether athletes speak to the media. As one of my sportswriter friends said Sunday: "Yeah, you can tell how upset the fans are at Urlacher. Only about 70 percent of them came to today's game wearing Urlacher jerseys instead of the usual 75 percent."

Fans are far more concerned about Urlacher's back problem. They care that he played poorly in Sunday's 16-7 loss to Detroit, a defeat that effectively ended the Bears' defense of their NFC title. Fans want the Bears to win.

After repeatedly lying to the Chicago media by saying he had no problem, Urlacher over the weekend finally confided in FoxSports.com that he is being treated for an "arthritis type of thing" in his back. The treatments don't really work, he said, so he has to play in pain.

Having an arthritic back condition doesn't bode well for his career. Arthritis isn't really "cured." It's something that must be managed, and that's not easy to do in a sport that features a violent collision on every play.

As for Urlacher lying to the media, that was neither nice nor necessary. He should have told the truth or given a no-comment. Otherwise, why would I care if the man ever talked to me and my kind again?

That was one of the many topics featured recently in my blog, The Baldest Truth (www.thebaldesttruth.com). Here are some more excerpts.

Weaselly Griese

Even though he threw four interceptions -- including two in the end zone that prevented the Bears from attempting field goals – Brian Griese's most telling screw-up Sunday was with his head and heart, not his arm.

On a third-and-10 play, Griese moved out of the pocket and had wide-open space in front of him. He scrambled and appeared headed for a first down ... but instead of taking one more step, he went into a hook-slide a yard too soon and the Bears had to punt. A minute later, Detroit kicked a field goal to take a 13-0 halftime lead.

If Griese miscalculated the distance he needed, it was a huge mistake for a quarterback whose strength is supposed to be his intelligence. If he hit the deck to avoid taking a shot when the Bears desperately needed a first down, one must question his courage.

3. The United Center statue already has been commissioned. And it will be bigger than the statue of You Know Who.

4. Tyrus Thomas would go to the Lakers in the trade, meaning uniform No. 24 -- one more than 23, for those scoring at
home -- would be available.

5. He's always wanted to be Viktor Khryapa's teammate.

New math

The Cubs were swept 3-0 in the NL Division Series by the Diamondbacks, who were swept 4-0 in the NL Championship Series by the Rockies, who were swept 4-0 in the World Series by the Red Sox.

So it's a mathematic certainty that if the Cubs played the Red Sox in a best-of-21 series, Boston would win 11 games to none.

All Zook up

Illinois coach Ron Zook has been getting testy with reporters who dare ask about his quarterback situation. Going against his trend of bringing Eddie McGee off the bench, Zook stayed with Juice Williams in Saturday's victory over Ball State.

"We talked a long time about it last night," Zook said at his postgame news conference, "and barring any injury ... we were gonna let Juice run with it."

"Why?" I asked.

"Who said why?" Zook asked, his head on a swivel as he looked around the room. When I raised my hand, he shot back with: "Because that was who we decided was the best for us."

C'mon, coach. You've been around long enough to know that fans care deeply about the quarterback position.

Illinois doesn't have a great QB, but switching back and forth willy-nilly is a good way to lose games -- which is what the Illini had done the two previous weeks. Williams played the entire game Saturday, played fairly well, and Illinois won. It wasn't a coincidence.

Zook has talked about the many lessons the team has learned in going 6-3 and becoming bowl-eligible this season. Maybe Zook is learning a thing or two, as well.

Value system

At midseason, Devin Hester is the Most Valuable Bear -- and it's not even close. His mere presence on kickoff and punt returns guarantees good field position. It's not his fault that the offense rarely takes advantage.

The choice for Least Valuable Bear is Bernard Berrian, who has dropped numerous passes and has looked petrified every time he's been asked to run routes over the middle. A potential free agent after the season, he is costing himself millions of dollars. And that's only fitting because he is costing the Bears victories.

Blackhawks fever

News that new Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz will put home games on television -- thereby un-doing decades of damage done by his late daddy -- has been met with cheers by many.